BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL
There are some people you meet and you just know they see things differently.
Bigger.
Further ahead.
That’s exactly how I felt sitting down with Amy LaBelle on Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast.
Because this wasn’t just a conversation about wine, or even about business.
It was about what happens when you take an idea and refuse to let it stay small.
“This isn’t just a winery. It’s a destination.”
You can feel it right away
Some people you sit down with and within five minutes, you just know they’re the real deal.
That was Amy.
On Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast, what stood out immediately wasn’t just what she’s built. It was how she thinks.
She thinks bigger.
She thinks ahead.
And she sees what something can become before it even exists.
It didn’t start the way you think
When people look at LaBelle Winery today, it’s easy to assume it started big.
It didn’t.
Amy was a corporate attorney. A mom raising two young boys with her husband César. Making wine in a barn behind their house. Paying off debt. Taking it one step at a time.
She counted it. 4,083 days from idea to opening the doors.
And I love that, because it’s a reminder that what looks effortless now took years of work, risk, and belief behind the scenes.
Building something bigger on purpose
What really impressed me was how intentional Amy has been from the beginning.
She knew a winery alone might not be enough to thrive here. So she built something more.
Something layered.
Something people could experience, not just visit.
And now look at it.
Two winery properties. Award winning restaurants. A golf course. An art gallery. The largest holiday light show in the state. A luxury guest house in the works. And even talk of a distillery coming next.
That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident.
Hospitality at the center of it all
This part really stayed with me, because it felt so familiar.
Amy talked about hospitality as stepping onto a stage every single day.
You open the doors, and you don’t know what your guests are walking in with.
Maybe they’re celebrating something big.
Maybe they just need a moment to breathe.
Either way, it matters.
That mindset is what turns a business into something people remember.
And it’s exactly what she’s created.
Giving back isn’t optional
Another part of the conversation that stuck with me was how much Amy focuses on giving back.
Through LaBelle, she’s supported thousands of charities over the years.
But one initiative really hit home. Helping provide fresh fruit to children through End 68 Hours of Hunger.
And the way she talked about it was simple.
If there are kids in your community who need help, you do something.
That’s it.
Helping others believe it’s possible
Amy is also passionate about helping others see what’s possible, especially women and future entrepreneurs.
Through Empowering Angels and her business workshops, she’s showing people that you don’t need a perfect plan.
You don’t need everything figured out.
You just need to start.
Stay committed.
And keep going.
What mattered most to her
There was one moment in this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast that really stayed with me.
When I asked Amy what she’s most proud of.
After everything she’s built.
All the growth.
All the success.
She didn’t say the winery.
She didn’t say the restaurants.
She said she’s most proud that she’s been able to build this life while raising two good boys.
That says everything.
Final thoughts
Amy LaBelle has built something incredible.
But more than that, she’s built something meaningful.
Something rooted in purpose, family, community, and joy.
This episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast was a reminder that the best businesses don’t just grow.
They evolve.
They expand.
They become something bigger than the original dream.
So if you haven’t been to LaBelle yet, go.
Have the wine. Have the meal. Walk the property. Take it all in.
Because what’s been created there isn’t just something you visit.
It’s something you feel.
🎧 Listen to Episode 34 of Beyond the Plate with Carol Podcast
Watch and listen to my full conversation with Amy LaBelle and hear the story behind building one of New Hampshire’s most unique and inspiring destinations.
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ABOUT CAROL ERICKSON
Carol Erickson has owned Red Arrow Diner since 1987 -- four locations across New Hampshire, open 24/7. She started Beyond the Plate to tell the real stories behind the people who make New England's food and hospitality scene what it is. Not just what's on the menu. What's behind it.
Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com | @redarrow24diner